The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-12-22
THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.

THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.
4 The following, a we'll written,
thoughtful and timely article, we clip
from the DURHAM Daily Recorder:
Since the memorable and remarka.
BILE Grange movement, there has been
nothing of great interest in the agri.
cultural world, until the rise of the
Secret Order among the farmers
known as the Farmers Alliance"
which is already wide spread, and con.
tinually extended among the sturdy
yeomanry of the land; embracing the
wives and daughters as we'll as the
sterner sex.
The movement of the Grange was
leveled against the %exorbitant charges
and ruinous discriminating freight
rates of the railroads, against the agri-
cultural products of the country. Their
efforts were crowned with success; the
strong arm of the law was stretched
over these great corporations, they
yer brought to terms, and the griev-
ances of the farmers were redressed
and expressions removed. But the
good work went on until joined by the
demands of the mercantile world, the
dormant power of the General Govern
ment was evoked, and the passage of
the Inter-Stat Commerce Bill, reached
W all transportation lines between
the States, and subjected them to rigo-
rous control. Then the Grange pretty
nearly passed out of sight, and the
farmers, stated with the fruits and glo.
ries over the railroads, seemed resting
in a long peace.
But the untoward events of the past
few years, the constant decline of real
prosperity in the agricultural business,
the wide spread and general indebted
ness of the farmers, the ruinous rates
at which they have been buying pro-
visions, the iniquities of the mortgage
system, have all conspired to rouse
them to a sense of their danger; and
taking counsel from the dangers IN
sight, they have organized to avoid be-
ing crushed amid their roar and fury
of the breakers just ahead.
That they have delayed too long to
achieve all the success which they de-
sire, can not be doubted. The move,
ment should have been begun much
earlier, and thus much of the dangers
and losses now inevitable, would have
been avoided; but "better late than
never" is a truism admitted by all
and we truly rejoice that the farmers
have at least walked up to the dangers
of the situation. and are making an
earnest effort to mend their ways.
We neither understand nor over
rate the Importance of the Farmers OF
the country. We do not propose TO
fatter them with fulsome eulogies; nor
to iterate and ~reiterate their real
value to the community. But we GER
teinly wish them much success in any
laudable endeavor to better their con-
dition. ....
There may be some features In the
Il dIIIlCIS dllldlCC tIdG diO ODJNS
BILE, and may not commend themselves
to everybody after a close scrutiny,
but these sensible, practical men LOOK
at things as they are, and do not eA'
pect perfection in human organlza,
tiens; but balance the good against the
bad; and after thus balancing,W we nave
no doubt that the great majority Oh
the farmers will approve the order.
We do not give much weight TO Tue
objection that it is secret. Secresy Is
the soul of all great actions, and tnen
there may be much that can be accom-
plished by them by having a phlian,
thropic feature in the order, and, gen,
orally, these philanthropic features al'
secret so far as their execution IS Gun
cerned. -
One thing may be set down as aosU
lutely, the farmers are too honest, sen
sible, and patriotic, to admit anyInii; 70
into their meetings that would w.
anvuau harmful to themselves or lhJu